Grass-receptacle for lawn-mowers



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To all whom t petty concern:

Be it known that I, LAFAYETTE W'ILDER- MUTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Grass-Receptacle for Lawn-Mowers, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to a grass receptacle and carrier for lawn-mowers, and has for its object to simplify and improve the construction of devices applicable to ordinary forms of lawn-mowers for receiving cut grass, the construction of the frame being such as to allow upward yielding of its bottom at the rear end without permitting displacement of the bottom at its front end.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a connection between the looped upper and lower frames of the receptacle and the spring whereby said frames are contracted at their front ends to maintain the attaching devices in their normal positions, so as to insure strength and solidity without interfering with the vertical movement of the rear end of the lower frame.

`Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a receptacle constructed in accordance with my invention applied in the operative position to a lawn-mower. Fig. 2 is a detail view in perspective of one end of the frame with the webbing or bagging omitted. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the spring-actuated loops detached. Fig. 4 is a detail view in perspective of the joint between the members of the receptacle-frame, showing the same from the inner side. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the loops and actuating-spring.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The frame of the receptacle comprises an upper member l, forming the side and rear edges of the top of the receptacle and having depending front arms 2 and a lower member 3, forming the side and rear edges of the bottom and connected at its extremities to the depending arms 2 of the upper member.

Each frame member is preferably constructed of a single blank of wire or rod, and the connection there between, which is in the plane of the lower member, is pivotal or hinged to allow a vertical swinging movement of the rear portion thereof,- whereby the depression of- -formed by coiling the depending arms 2 of the upper frame member to provide eyes 5, with which are engaged terminal eyes 6 on the side arms of the bottom frame member.

The eyes 5 of the upper frame member are disposed at intermediate points of the Wire or rod forming said member, .and beyond said eyes the member is extended forward in an approximately-horizontal direction to provide attaching-arms 7, having inturned terminals or trunnions 8 for engagement with openings, such as slots 9, in the frame of the lawn-mower. Itis obvious that the elasticity of the receptacle-frame operates, when it is properly proportioned to suit the frame of the lawn-mower, to maintain the terminals or trunnions 8 in the openings provided for their reception; but in order to insure the positive engagement, and hence the maintenance of thedevice in operative position, I employ frame contracting devices connecting the sides of the receptacle-frame in a plane contiguous to that of the loose connection between the upper and lower frame members, and hence contiguous to the plane of the attaching-arms 7. In the construction illustrated these contracting devices consist of spring-actuated loops 10, engaged at their looped extremities, respectively, with the frame members at transversely opposite points, as with the eyes 6, and connected at their opposite extremities to an actuatingspring 1l, said spring being disposedmainly between the` hooked extremities l2 of the loops, whereby the extension of the connection between the transversely-opposite points of the receptacle-frame` causesthe contraction of the actuating-spring. Furthermore,

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the arrangement of the spring upon the portions of the actuating-loops between the terminal hooks 12 thereof prevents the deflection of said spring. The intermediate overlapping portions of the loops form a core or stiffener which maintains the coils of the spring in alinement.

From the above description it will be seen that in applying the receptacle embodying my invention to the frame of a lawn-mower it is simply necessary to expand the receptacle-frame laterally in opposition to the tension of the spring 11 to separate the attaching-arms 7 su'liiciently to allow the terminals or truunions 8 to engage suitable openings in the lawnmower frame, after which the release of the receptacle-frame and the resulting expansion of the spring 1l will cause the transverse contraction of the receptacle-f rame and the efficient engagement of the terminals or trunnions 8 with the lawn-mower frame. The rear end of the upper frame member is preferably supported by means engaged with the handle of the lawn-mower, as by a link 13, provided with a terminal hook 14, which is seated upon the said handle.

In order to prevent the transverse contraction of the receptacle-frame from disengaging the terminal hooks 12 of the loops 10 from the coils of the spring ll, I preferably engage said hooks with the springs at intermediate points of the latter, thus leaving one or more terminal coils lla of said spring beyond or outside of the hooks 12.

An important feature of the construction of the frame of my improved grass-receptacle resides in the connection of the frame members, whereby while pivotal movement of the lower member is allowed no vertical displacement of the front end of said member with relation to the upper member can occur. The interlocking eyes of the two members, whereby the same are connected, prevents vertical displacement of the lower member at its front end.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- A grass-receptacle for lawn-mowers having a wire frame comprising upper and lower looped members having forwardly-extending arms intersecting in the plane of the lower member, and provided with interlocking eyes 5 and 6, the arms of the upper member being extended beyond said interlocking eyes to form inturned engaging studs, and yielding means connecting the sides of the frame at the point of intersection of said loop-arms, said means consisting of oppositely-extending loops 10 having their closed extremities engaged with the eyes 5 of the upper frame member, and having their open ends provided with outwardly-turned hooks 12, and an expansion-spring coiled upon the overlapping portions of said loops and engaged at intermediate points by the hooks, which extend between the coils of the spring at points set in from the extremities of the latter, to prevent disengagement of the hooks by the lateral contraction of the frame, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LA FAYETTE VILDERMUTI-I.

Witnesses:

A. L. R. WILDERMUTH, FRANK X. WOLF. 

